Action verb picture cards – Materials: “ing” picture cards (ex everyday actions – Super Duper Co.)
Fan a set of cards out and have student who is sitting appropriately “pick one”. After student selects a card have them stand and tell you what the card is ex she is sitting in a chair. Less verbal students may just say the verb and non verbal students may use a voice output device that is preprogrammed or answer a Yes/No question about the card is she sitting in a chair or is she standing on her head?
Once the student engages with the teacher they turn to peers showing the card and say what is in the picture to their peers. If you have a large group they can say it once to the entire group or for a smaller group go around to each student and tell them what is on the picture.
Extended activity - put the cards on the white board and when all the students have had a turn have them come up to the white board and pick the action you say (“find the girl talking on the phone”….).
What’s missing – materials small interesting items, numbers, or letters, a cookie sheet, a towel and a cloth bag or box to put the items in
Have a student pull an item out of the bag. The teacher labels it, describes it, and tells the category it belongs to. Have another student take an item out of the bag. Again label it, describe it and give it a category. Lay both items on the cookie sheet labeling them by name again. Put a towel over the items. Tell the students one thing is going away. Choose a student. Lift the towel and one of the items at the same time so the students can’t see what you are taking away.
Ask the chosen student “what’s missing”.
Give hints from the description or category and if needed give a little peek to elicit an answer.
*for nonverbal students provide visuals of the items that they can choose from to show you what is missing.
Extended activity – add to the size of the set – up to 5 items. Have students do the describing, labeling, and category of the item when they pull it out.
Surprise boxes Labeling:
Materials: box or container, a variety of different items and a cookie tray to display them on
A visual “trick” to increase motivation in the activity is to use very unique containers, shake the container but don’t let them see what is in the container as if the best thing in the world in hidden within.
Level 1 – introduction to items
Student pulls item out of the container, holds it out for peers to see and the instructor identifies the item “You found a ball”. The item is then placed on the tray
Level 2 – Several items receptive identification
After several items have been shown, identified and placed on the tray ask one student to “find the ball” while presenting the set of items on the tray to the child. Block an incorrect response

with your hand if the student is not going to choose the correct item.(move child’s hand away from an incorrect response or cover some of the options to reduce the field) Continue mixing in items and give each student an opportunity to take something out of the container and off of the tray.
Level 3 – single item identification
Ask the student to identify the item (tell me what this is?, what do you have?, what is it?, what did you find?). If the correct response “ball” is given affirm the response “you’re right it is a ball”. Model a full sentence response if one has not been given. If no answer or an incorrect response is given verbally model “ball” and ask the student to “touch” the ball. Move on to another student after you have prompted through as necessary to ensure success.
Acceptable responses to be reinforced
Ball, A ball, It’s a ball, look a ball, I have a ball, I see a ball.
As student become familiar with the flow of the activity have them show and pass item to peers telling them what it is if they are able.
Surprise boxes Direction following
Materials: box or container, pictures of body movements or strips of paper with actions written/typed on them (clap 15 times, spin 3 times, stand on one leg) A visual “trick” to increase motivation in the activity is to use very unique containers, shake the container but don’t let them see what is in the container as if the best thing in the world in hidden within.
Have the student who is sitting appropriately stand up and pick a card/strip of paper out of the box. Tell the student what is on the paper and have them “lead” the group in that activity.
Provide the level of support needed for the leader student to model for the other children
Extend the activity – have the leader student pick the next student to lead using the other student’s name and a sentence at the length the leader student is capable of.
Level 1 student points to another student or selects a picture of a classmate when asked “who turn is next?”
Level 2 student says the name of another child when asked “who turn is next?”
Level 3 student says a sentence when asked to pick another student or “who turn is next?”
What Is It? Touch discrimination
Materials: a bag with a draw string on it, pictures of items and the actual items in the pictures
Beginning – Place one item in the draw string bag. Select a student who is sitting appropriately.
Show the student two cards while naming both items, one of the cards must be the item in the bag. To add motivation and suspense shake the bag and tell the students one of the items is hiding in the bag. Ask the student to put their hand in the bag and tell you which item it is.
When the student puts their hand in the bag pull the drawstring snug around their wrist. Do not allow the student to pull the item out of the bag before they label the item.